Cohesion
by Demon-Rayven
Summary: Because rivals DON'T ask rivals to dislodge them from windows. nejihina, other
1. Chapter 1

Hey everyone! This is my first shot at a Naruto fanfiction, and I hope I did okay. I am a REALLY big fan of the NejixHinata pairing, and so...that's pretty much the main pairing in here. There will also be another pairing, but it's a surprise! If you have anything against NejiHina, then don't read this. It's that simple. This fanfic was inspired in the blink of an eye...when I was doing biology homework.I was working on my vocabulary and came across the word 'cohesion', which is defined as, "attraction between molecules of the same substance." The idea just hit me really hard, considering Neji and Hinata belong to the same family and all. Now, I'm usually a goodie-two-shoes. I almost always support the canon pairings in Naruto (save for SasuSaku), but something about this pairing is just so...cute and special. So, now that I've probably put you to sleep with my ramblings, wake up and enjoy my fanfiction, "Cohesion."

* * *

Hinata walked slowly down the dark street, passing by streetlights and benches. She shivered, and wrapped her jacket even more tightly around her small form as she continued on her way. There was no Kiba or Shino to walk her home tonight. Kiba and Akamaru had gone to Akamaru's dog obedience classes, and Shino had stated that he had "business elsewhere." She had passed by her teammate's house a few minutes ago, and had said goodbye to him and Akamaru as they departed in the opposite direction. After a few moments of staring into space, Hinata decided that she should get home before it got any darker. She was almost at the Main House anyway…she could wait to rest until she got there. Her steps were becoming unsteady, but she forced herself to keep going.

Big mistake.

Neji stared wistfully out the small window in his bedroom, braiding his hair absentmindedly. His thoughts wandered again to the curse seal which his uncle had carved onto his forehead; how it would eternally mark him as a mere pawn to the Hyuuga, forced to obey their every whim, a bird trapped in a cage that was too small. This led him to think of his cousin, the heir of his family. After what had happened during the chuunin exams, Neji had grown to hate her less. He had even gone as far as contemplating a way in which to apologize to her. However, these foolish thoughts were immediately dismissed from his mind and labeled as useless and unnecessary. He did not have to tell Hinata he was sorry for his actions. She was the only one who could somehow tell; read him like a book. And as much as he hated to admit it, he was relieved.

His train of thought was interrupted, though. He had sensed the chakra of his younger cousin some time ago, most likely on her way home. Today was different somehow, he realized. The Inuzuka boy and Aburame Shino were not accompanying her today as they usually did.

Hinata was alone.

He was pulled out of his thoughts as he felt her chakra sharply plummet, and almost vanish altogether. Neji panicked, and stumbled out of his doorway. As he made his way out of the Hyuuga compound following Hinata's faint chakra trail, he wasn't exactly worried about any consequences his actions might have. Neji was no longer concerned about what punishment he might receive from his uncle. He was afraid of breaking the oath he had made to his father; that he would protect Hinata with his life. If she was dead, he would have failed. Her father might not care about her or value her life, but she had someone who did. And that person currently had absolutely no idea where she was. Neji ran around the outskirts of the manor, calling out his cousin's name. It had recently started to rain, so he had shortly become drenched. If Hinata was out there, she was most likely unconscious…or dead. Neji did not want to stop to consider that an option.

The Hyuuga didn't even have time to react. His body flew through the air before he even had a chance to realize what he had tripped on. As he lay sprawled out on the ground, he sensed movement behind him. At that moment, his eyes widened. "Hinata-sama!" He calmed his voice as much as possible and continued. "What are you doing out here?" Hinata, for her older cousin's sake, managed to produce a small smile. "Well, Neji-niisan, I was unconscious, but a certain person stepped on me." Neji was utterly shocked. Up until now, Hinata had never spoken to him in that manner. She must have been delusional. He knelt down beside her and proceeded to pick her up, much to her initial surprise. He stood up with her in his arms and began walking back to the Hyuuga mansion. "Well then, we should bring you back home. What happened to you?" he received no reply, and so he turned his head to face hers.

A small, trembling hand made its way to his forehead. "I've never seen it before, Neji-niisan. Don't you usually keep it covered?" She brushed her fingers across the curse mark engraved into his skull. After receiving a puzzling look from her cousin, she replied. "You're not wearing your hitae-ate." Just then, Neji noticed that his forehead protector was indeed missing from its designated place. He was startled internally, but remained passive on the surface. Yes, I suppose I forgot, Hinata-sama. It must have slipped my mind. I am sorry." She finally looked up at him, but this time he realized that her expression was totally unreadable. Her white eyes were hazy, and he found himself wishing she had pupils, so he could tell if she was rolling her eyes at him.

"No, Neji-niisan - I don't think you should cover it up all the time." He sighed. "I am required to, Hinata-sama." Neji watched her frown. "Oh."

The rest of the walk continued in silence. Hinata was too scared and tired to talk, and Neji was unwilling. Eventually, the purple-haired kunoichi fell asleep in the hold of her older cousin.

The main doors of the Hyuuga compound were, as Neji expected, locked, and therefore he had to climb through his own window. If Haishi ever heard about this, Neji knew he would be in HUGE trouble. His uncle would most likely activate the seal on his forehead, as he had done to Neji's own father. And he was most definitely not in the mood for that. So, he pushed open his bedroom window with his free arm, his other one supporting the now sleeping Hinata. Neji could feel her stirring as he hoisted her through the rather small (at least in his opinion) opening. She fit though with little problem, but Neji knew he would have a...erm...rather dificult time getting in himself. He was older than her and his shoulders were broader than hers were, but if he could get them through, he wouldn't have many other problems.

The Hyuuga had gotten halfway through the window when his younger cousin decided to wake up. She stared at him for a few minutes, apparently trying to decipher why and how the two of them had come to be in their current positions; her-sprawled out on her cousin's bedroom floor, and him- halfway through the window.

"Umm...Neji-niisan-"

"Don't. Bother. I really have no idea how I got stuck in a window."

His voice was calm and steady. Hinata supposed he was being sarcastic. She was probably right, but then again she was half-guessing.

"Oh." She prodded her index fingers together in her usual way of letting others know she was embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Neji."

Yet, unbeknownst to Hinata, her cousin was too deep in thought to catch her words. 'Neji? What the hell happened to niisan?' Not that he minded. He would prefer Neji-kun, though... 'Whoa! What was that! I'm not supposed to be thinking stuff like that!' Just then, Neji came to the realization that he was still stuck in his window. "Um," Hinata began. "I was wondering...should I call someone to help you? Since...uh…I don't think I could pull you out." Neji thought about this for a moment. He considered calling the Kyuubi boy, but then he realized Hinata would probably faint again if she saw Naruto, so he decided against it.

"Call Lee." He knew it would be a mistake, but there was no other option. Aburame Shino and the Inuzuka both despised him, Nara Shikamaru was too lazy, and the Uchiha was absolutely out of the question. Rivals don't ask rivals to dislodge them from windows.

"Neji! What were you doing getting stuck in a window at this time of night?" Gai started his usual rant about Neji's rapidly declining youthfulness, and stated that his shoulders had broadened due to the onset of his 'anorexia'. And, through all of this…Neji was still in the window. He had been conversing with Hinata (over tea, of course. Neji had politely declined, seeing as it might spill on the floor) ever since they (his ENTIRE team) had arrived. Lee had apparently insisted that if Neji were surrounded by his "many friends", it would be easier to pull him out.

What a long day.

At 2:47 AM on Saturday morning, Neji was pulled out of his window by…TenTen. (Yes, TenTen.) Afterwards, Neji thanked her and then proceeded to force his teammates out of his house. Surprisingly, No one in the Hyuuga manor was awakened when Lee yelled out, "we will see you tomorrow at training, teammate Neji!" Then, TenTen whacked Lee upside the head and dragged him and their sensei back to their respective houses.


	2. Chapter 2

Hi guys! I can't believe I got such a great response from the first chapter! I'm so glad that all of you like my fic! In this chapter, we see how Hinata's teammates react to what's going on. I hope everyone likes this chapter. I'm aiming for this to have one to two more chapters, and maybe a side story or sequel at the end.

Mareva- Thanks, and I'm glad you like it!

pookie-poo- Thank you so much! It's great to know people like my story!

juliagulia1017-I think I'd glomp him too! And thanks a lot!

Well, here's the next installment of 'Cohesion'. Enjoy!

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After hearing soft, steady breathing behind him, Neji noticed that Hinata had fallen asleep...on his bed. He had absolutely no idea what to do, so he considered his options. 1) He could try to carry her to her own room. The problem would be solved, but if anyone woke up and somehow caught them, they'd get the wrong idea. 2) He could leave her there and sleep on the extra bed. He wouldn't have to risk anything, but she'd be in his freaking bed! What if Haishi or Hanabi went looking for her? He might as well cut his own head open. 'Well', he thought. 'It's too late now...might as well just leave her here.' He pulled out the spare futon under his bed, changed into his pajamas (after making sure that Hinata was definitely not awake), and fell asleep soon after his head hit the pillow.

-Earlier that Afternoon-

On the other side of the village, Inuzuka Kiba and Aburame Shina were facing a rather difficult predicament.

"She's dead. Hinata's dead."

"She's not dead, dog-boy."

Kiba snarled. "Then, buggy, WHERE IS SHE!"

"..."

"Well?" Akamaru decided to voice his own opinion and make his worry know by barking at Shino...and peeing on his jacket.

"That was my favorite jacket." Shino stated.

"What do you mean, was? It still works." His voice faltered a little bit, as he could tell Shino was glaring at him under those sunglasses of him. Why was Shino so pissed at him, anyway? Usually Kiba couldn't get under his skin until at least noon. His thoughts were interrupted by a kikai bug crawling up the side of his face. He froze.

"There is no way I am keeping this, dog-boy, let alone putting it back on. I might as well give it to the most intelligent of the two of you to decide its...fate."

And so commenced a very awkward silence.

"What am I gonna do with it?" Kiba questioned. "It's covered in Akamaru's...umm...pee."

Shino sighed. "I wasn't talking about you."

"Oh."

"..."

"HEY!" Suddenly, Akamaru grabbed the jacket in his mouth and ran off in the direction of Kiba's house. "Take good care of my jacket." Shino whimpered, although no one was really listening. Kiba turned around and gave Shino a puzzled look. "Shino, do you have a feeling that we're forgetting something?" Shino wasn't listening, though. He was staring wistfully in the direction Akamaru had run off.

"Bye, jacket."

-The Next Morning-

"AAAH! Neji-nii-san!" Hinata squealed. Her face was crimson red, and she looked like she was about to have a heart attack. She quickly covered herself with the blanket Neji had placed on her...even though she was fully clothed. Neji fought back the urge to laugh as his younger cousin frantically looked around, apparently searching for something that wasn't there. He smirked. "Yes, Hinata-sama?"

" I need a phone! Kiba and Shina must be worried sick! I was supposed to call them when I got home last night...Kiba-kun is going to have a fit, and Shino! Poor Shino!" She started scouring the room for a phone. Her search, sadly, was fruitless.

"Hinata," Neji interjected. "Use your Byakugan."

Hinata blushed even more (Neji didn't even think a person could get that red) and tried to calm herself down. It didn't help that Neji had addressed her so informally. Nonetheless, she listened to her cousin's instruction. The veins pulsed in her temples, and she scanned the room with her Byakugan. She found a phone...right next to her on the older Hyuuga's bedside table. "Uh...s-sorry, Neji-nii-san! I...I wasn't paying attention."

"No, you weren't." Neji cursed himself the minute the words left his mouth. He hadn't realized what repercussions they would have. The girl looked down in shame, and refused to meet his gaze. "Please don't tell father." She whimpered. A pang of guilt hit Neji unexpectedly, and he suddenly felt the urge to make her feel better. Neji slowly approached her, and bent down next to the bed to help her up. He smiled (though it was a tad strained; he didn't really smile much) and bent his head to her ear. "I won't, I promise." he felt her shudder. It was more likely that it was the result of seeing him smile...but he'd take whatever he could get. Placing the phone in his cousin's hand as he stood up, he walked to the doorway. "It's around seven o' clock. Call the Inuzuka and tell him you won't be training today."

"H-huh? But Kurenai-sensei said we would be doing a mission today and she w-would need all three of us." Neji rolled his eyes, wondering if Hinata had realized yet just how high her fever was. She would have to be in bed for at least a day or two. After all, that's what happens when you're out in the rain like she was. "Hinata-sama. You have a fever, and a rather high one to be exact. You are not going to train today." Hinata silently bowed her head in defeat, and allowed Neji to help her up so she could get a change of clothes. On the way back to Neji's room, she had heard he and her father talking, and learned that Neji was being ordered to stay home and take care of her. A pant of guilt struck her (or was that just her head pounding...). She felt horrible for getting sick and requiring her cousin to abandon his training. He was supposed to be receiving a promotion to a new ANBU squad, and at this point, he could not afford to slack off.

After getting back to her cousins room, she sat down on his bed and thought about what had happened yesterday. It was becoming harder and harder to stay awake, and Hinata could feel consciousness slowly slipping away. She sighed, and let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

What a long day.

"Hokage-sama!"

Tsunade awoke from her drunken stupor after hearing her name. She lazily wiped the drool from her mouth and turned to face...

"Yes, Kiba?"

"Hinata's missing! She could be dead! Or worse! She could be-"

"Making out with Naruto in a closet." Shino finished for him.

As payback for his remark, Kiba whacked the other boy over the head with the closest object that could possibly do him harm (which just so happened to be one of Tsunade's favorite vases). "Hinata-chan would never do that, Shino! Right Akamaru?" The dog whined and made a small yip in agreement. "See, Shino? Akamaru's right! Hinata-chan isn't that kind of person!"

"..."

"And you're trusting this to a dog?"

"..."

The Hokage decided that, despite her horrendous hangover, she had no choice but to intervene. "Okay, SHUT UP! We all know that Hinata is not that sort of girl, and she would never make out with anyone in a closet. As much as I'd love to this conversation to continue on it's current path, we're getting off the subject." The Fifth Hokage smacked Shino and Kiba upside the head, sat them down on two chairs in front of her desk, and shoved Akamaru onto Kiba's lap.

"So what is going on?" Tsunade rubbed her temples, expecting all hell to break loose, but instead, Shino glared at Kiba, adjusted his sunglasses, and started to speak. "We don't know exactly. Hinata was supposed to call us last night when she got home. She never did."

The Hokage gave them a 'You're kidding me, right?' look. "And you didn't even bother to call her? Or-get this- you could have gone to her house to see if she was okay! Did it even occur to you that maybe she forgot? I swear, you never think." She lifted her head to look up at Kiba, who wore an 'I knew that...' expression on his face. Shino, as usual, was unreadable, but Tsunade could tell he was concerned for his female teammate. As they were about to get up, a phone started to ring.

"That would be me." Shino announced, and he flipped open the cover. "Hello. How did you get my number, Hyuuga?" At this, Kiba's eyes widened. He knew Shino only addressed one person that way, and that person...was Neji. Before Shino could say another word, the Inuzuka had grabbed the phone and started ranting at it. "Where the hell is Hinata-chan? Oh God! You killed her, didn't you? You heartless bastard! How could you? She was your cousin, man! Your freaking cousin!"

After a few minutes, Shino managed to retrieve the phone from the fuming Kiba. Truthfully, he was surprised that Neji was still on the line. "Is he done?"The older Hyuuga sounded especially irritated. More so than usual, in his opinion. "Yes." He replied. "I'd give him a minute or two though. Where is Hinata?" There was a pause at the other end, and Shino thought he heard Neji talking to someone. "She's fine, Aburame. She's got a fever, though. I got your number from her phone, because she passed out before she got a chance to call you. She won't be training today." Shino heaved a sigh of relief at hearing that Hinata was okay. "Thanks, Hyuuga," he muttered. "Whatever." Click.

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Thanks again. I don't know when I'll finish the next chapter, but I'll get on it right away! Please review if you have the time, it means so much to me to know that even a few people like my writing. Well, until next time! Ja ne!


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